Food product preparing machine



Jan. 17, 1939. QELLIS 2,144,182

FOOD PRODUCT PREPARING MACHINE Filed Jan. 11, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 (TIGKEZZZIS INVENTOR 1 V l (36 2 3 74' 6 ATTORNEY Jan. 17, 1939. c G. ELLIS FOOD PRODUCT PREPARING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fileg Jan. 11, 1937 Q CGiEZlia INVENTOR v ATTORNEY Jan. 17, 1939. Q E1 5 FOOD PRODUCT PREPARING MACHINE Filed Jan. 11, 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 .ijwnnivnnllm 'C .EZZi5 ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 17, 1939 it 2,144,182

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FOOD PRODUCT PREPARING meme Carl George Ellis, Kokomo, Ind. Application January 11,1937, Serial No. 120,123

1 Claim. (oi. 53-1) The invention relates to a food product pre- Figure 8 is a view similar to Figure '7 showing paring machine and more especially to a doughthe carrier tripped and in dumping position. nut machine. 1 Figure 9 is a fragmentary side elevation partly The primary object of the invention is the in section of the dough forming and cutting head. provision of amachine of this character, wherein Figure 10 is a fragmentary detail view of-a 5 the food product which is yeast-bearing dough slight modification.

will be mechanically handled and in this way I Figure 11 is a vertical sectional view thereof. avoiding the handling of the product in its prep- Figure 12 is a horizontal sectional view showaratlon by hand which results in or tends to ing a further modification.

to toughen the dough. Similar reference characters indicate correw Another object of the invention is the provispending parts throughout the several views in slon of a machine of this character, wherein the the drawings. preparation oi a food product, such, for example, ferr o t e aw in detail, the p as doughnuts, which is formedfrom dough that ratus compr se a casing W having a s pp isn eds to prooi or rise before cooking will be formation at M at one end and interiorly of 15 had, the product heing oi the highest quality and this casing is an pp r v y m r it and is assured of lightness and thorough cooking a lower hot grease trough it, respectively, while when delivered from the apparatus being relieved suitably supported. above the p o e casing of toughness and properly proofed. at a feed locality with respect thereto is a conzo it. further object of the invention is the proner 1: holder it in which dough.- may e, vision of an apparatus of this character, which p It s preferable t e d g Containing is comparatively simple in construction, thoryeast and this apparatus is desig to make D oughly reliable and emcient in operation, having sible the use of yeastdough in an a maximum capacity, automatically actuated, t tic anner.

and enabling economical andsatisfactory pro- Arran d at he bottom of the container or 25 duction, of the food products andalso c0mpaya,-- holder it and in communication therewith is a. tively inexpensive to manufacture. dependin dispensing nipple it with which is With these and other objects in view, th 1 detachably connected a combined dough product vention consists in the features of construction, forming and tt he in t s stance inaa combination and arrangement of parts as will be eludes feed u it having p ced elow its hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in lower discharge d Ill a nt h ma the accompanying drawin which disclose t die it which in this instance is of hollow trunpreferred embodiment of the invention and Gated e l form having a susp s o ste "9 pointed out in the claim hereunt appendei connected to a cross strap-like spider 2U. fixed in the accompanying drawings: within the tube it. Slidable on the tube it is 35 Figure 1 is a side elevation of the appar tu a cylindrical cutter 2! having an outer beveled constructed in accordance with the invention. knife edge 22 While externally p t e said out- Figure 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional tell is an ejector and spreader Sleeve it view ther of ing the beveled lower edge 24 corresponding to to Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional the knife edge the cylindrical cutber being 40 View taken on the line of Figure actuated for sliding movement toward and away Figure 4 is a fragmentary enlarged transverse from the (he and the purpose.thereof is to Sectional View approximately on the line sever the dough fed from the container or holder of Figure 2 taken through one of the conveyors M when discharged through the tube it while the ejector or spreader, which is preferably made with dwehPut formatmns m i from rubber, disperses the cut dough from the 0 Figure 5 1s afragmentary sectional view on the die is and mechanically Spreads such dough line 5-5 of Figure when so dispersed thus in this manner a center Figure 6 is airagmentary vertical longitudinal holed doughnut is formed sectional view through one of the conveyors'taken The container or holder 14 is provided with a 50 pp t y the e 0f Flgure 4 supply of compressed air by means of a pipe 25 ma n t e directwn of the arrows which is shown fragmentarily and entering Figure 7 is a fragmenta y en arged Ve t through a suitable cover 26 for the said holder or longitudinal sectional view showing in detail a container but it may obviously'be connected at trip tor the carriers oi! the conveyor. any desirable point. This pipe 25 is assumed to 55 be connected by a suitable means or otherwise to a source of compressed air thus supplying means of forcing the dough out of' the container or holder in the operation of the apparatus. At the point of communication of the nipple IS with the container or holder I4 is a cut-off gate. or

valveinot shown), the handle thereof being indicated at 21 for the control of the supply of dough fed from the said container or holder and such valve is manually operated in this instance.

Located within the casing l and 'wotrking within the chamber I2 is a conveyor which may be constructed in any desirable manner. For purpose of illustration, this conveyor is shown composed of a series of parallel chains 28 formed of a series of link members, as, for example, 29 and 80 pivoted at their ends to pivots 3|. The pivots 3| are attached to swinging carriers 32, these being arranged at spaced intervals throughout the extentof the said chains 28, each conveyor including a pair of spaced chains and a series 01 the carriers. Each carrier is interposed in the respective conveyors traveling immediately below the arranged heads depending 'from the container or holder l4 and receives dough and falls from the said heads, 1

The conveyors may be arranged to travel'in any of the well known ways and for the purpose of illustration the same are shown passing over a series of sprocket wheels 33 so arranged that the conveyors travel a zigzag course making a series' of back and forth passes or runs, making a lowermost delivery run above the grease trough l3 as well as several proofing runs within the chamber II. The conveyors are operated in unison and any suitable source of power may be employed for driving such conveyors.

Each carrier 32 has arranged therein a spring tensioned rest canvas 34, the springs being indicated at 35 and the canvas is disposed crosswise within each carrier and made secure at its end in any desirable manner. This canvas rest 34 supports the dropped dough cut on and falling from the heads as indicated at". a

Arranged at the delivery run of the conveyors and bracketed in any desirable manner at 31 is a spring carrier trip 38 which functions to successively flop over singly the carriers 32 when the conveyors are operating for the discharge of the dough therefrom and delivery of the same through a space 39 created at the stepped end ii of the casing l0 through the instrumentality of an asbestos covering sheet or plate 40 overhanging the trough l3, which latter contains hot grease 4|.

The conveyors in this instance are driven from chain and sprocketconnections 42 an electric motor 44.

In Figures and 11 of the drawings there is shown a slight modification wherein the same involves a head 45 having an elongated mouth 46 intersected by a sliding cutter 41 and this head is to be substituted for the head used in the preparation of doughnuts so that lunch sticks may be prepared in the machine as a product.

In Figure 12 of the drawings there is shown a further modification wherein there is involved a and 43 with head 48 having a whole circular mouth 49 cooper-' ating with a cutter 50 having a whole circular cutting end SI for use in the making of whole rolls, better known as jelly doughnuts, and this head 48 is in substitute for the doughnut making head or the lunch stick making head before described.

In the operation of the apparatus the speed of travel of the conveyors may be controlled for as it is cut .off

same.

i The liquid grease 4| within, the trough I3 is I maintained at the desired temperature in any desirable manner, preferably through the use of a heater (not shown).-

The doughs containing yeast conveyed by the carriers of the conveyors will be transported within the chamber I! for the'proper time interval for permitting the yeast tov rise, making a porous spongy dough before the same is transferred from the carriers in successive order into the trough l3 and in this manner proper proofing of the doughs will had. Such doughs when upon the rests 34 in the carriers 32 will be relieved from vibration due to the spring mounting of said rests. With this apparatus it is possible after the dough has been subjected to the continually but gradually increasing temperature thus giving the yeast a chance to develop to plunge the developed dough into the grease 4| in the trough i3, first exposing one side to the cooking operation and then automatically inverting the dough and subjecting the other side to the cooking operation when in the grease 4|. The cooked product may then be removed from thegrease 4| as before stated. I,

v It will be evident, therefore,- that the apparatus involves a continuous cycle for making food products as well as an automatic machine for carrying out such cycle.

The apparatus is so constructed that the food products are cut and dropped onto rests in carriers which are moved by the conveyors and these conveyors moving in different planes or superposed runs gradually approach the grease trough l3. They will become properly proofed, firm and shapely. When each product comes to the end of the delivery run of the conveyors, it is tripped quickly and dropped into grease where such product becomes cooked or fried. The carriers do not enter the hot grease, which, should it be the case, they would tend to grease the entire travel of the products causing the latter to stick to the rests in the carriers and at the same'time the grease would. cause a film of oil to fully cover such conveyors and carriers and this film would stick to the product and have to be scraped off at the end of the travel of the Further, the yeast would have a reaction on the grease especially .if it was not hot and the dough would; have a tendency to absorb a portion of thegreasepnd as a result the dough would notrise so that th e product would become fiat. The apparatus herld nbefore described overcomes these objections in a perfectly,

formed proofed and fried 'prodiict.

The proofed productis' automatically dropped into the. grease trough ll sri'th'at such product will float the grease thereinwhich effects the final period of such product, the carriers for the grease being at no time subjected to the quantity of liquid grease contained within the trough l3 as such carriers do not travel within this grease throughout the final run of the conveyors.

The warming of the chamber 12 can be effected in any desirable manner.

Coacting with the hubs 55 of those sprockets 33 constituting the motivating mediums for the conveyors are suitable clutches 58, these being hand controlled at 51 so that the conveyors can be started and stopped at the will of the operator of the apparatus, the driving power being had from the motor 4 3.

What is claimed is:

An apparatus for producing food products from dough containing yeast comprising a casing forming a proofing chamber, a hot grease contalning trough below the same and communicative therewith next to one end through its bottom, means for conveying pieces of dough through said proofing chamber above the said trough, means for successively releasing only at the end of the proofing travel of the dough within said chamber from the said means for the dropping of the dough into the trough and grease therein at the point of communication of said chamber and trough, and tensioned fabric rests included in said first-named means for the pieces of dough.

CARL GEORGE ELLIS. 

